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NCAA SemiFinal: Illinois vs. UConn

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – Forgive Brad Underwood if he takes an extra beat to appreciate the novelty of his weekend surroundings as Illinois returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.

Ready and waiting, perhaps unimpressed by the pomp and circumstance on the periphery of a third trip to the Final Four in four years, stand UConn and head coach Dan Hurley. And that’s the piece of the Fighting Illini itinerary in Indy that Underwood finds painfully familiar.

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UConn demolished Illinois 74-61 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28 and waylaid the Illini in the 2024 Elite Eight in Boston, a blowout by every measure that is memorable for the Huskies’ 30-0 run and 77-52 final score.

Only senior forward Alex Karaban remains from UConn’s previous tournament win over Illinois and the teams are changed in major ways since the November game. But in the days since Illinois defeated No. 9 seed Iowa to win the South, Underwood found a couple of common denominators comparing his losses to UConn’s 19-point comeback to defeat East No. 1 seed Duke on Sunday.

“I look at one guy — well, two. I look at Danny (Hurley) and then I look at Karaban,” he said. “Their culture is, I think this is their third Final Four. You understand why they’re here. It’s never — things have to go right in a 19-point comeback, and they did. But there was no quit. There was no lay-down. We’ve talked a lot about that.”

UConn (33-5) tournament breakout star Tarris Reed Jr. was coming off of an injury when the teams played earlier this season and All-American Keaton Wagler was a non-factor for Illinois (28-8), serving in a vastly different catch-and-shoot role as a spot-up sniper on the baseline. These days, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year handles the ball on every possession and gets the offense going as a point guard or point forward.

The Most Outstanding Player in the South Region, Wagler had 25 against the Hawkeyes and his best game of the year came in the state. He poured in 46 points on Jan. 24 at Purdue in a national coming-out party that featured 9-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. He led Illinois in scoring 19 times this season.

“It does give you a lot of confidence when they put that much trust in you,” Wagler said.

Wagler leads the Illini in scoring (17.9) and assists (4.3), ranks third in rebounding (5.0) and drew praise from UConn for not being a superstar in one sense that you “never see him take bad shots.” Wagler played only 14 minutes in the loss to UConn.

Hurley stressed to his newbies in the locker room, which happens to include Indiana kid and Elite Eight hero Braylon Mullins, that the Huskies aren’t here to hang a Final Four banner. The participants in the national semifinals receive watches in swag bags this week. Hurley couldn’t care less about the timepiece. The treasure Hurley wants the Huskies to focus on can’t be dug up until Monday night, and only after winning twice in the Final Four.

He said Friday he’s even willing to embrace the criticism received since he went eyebrow-to-eyebrow with referee Roger Ayers, risking a technical or ejection in the moments after Mullins had his “One Shining Moment” against Duke.

“I’m not a victim. I’ve done everything. I did what I did,” Hurley said. “We don’t allow victims in our program, and I’m not a 53-year-old man sitting up here like I’m some victim. I don’t want to waste a lot of time with it because it takes away from the team. But for me, the way I view what we’re going into in the game, when some people, again, view it as a game, just my family, how I was raised in the sport, where I’m from in Jersey, we look at it more like a battle.”

-Field Level Media

NCAA Final Four: Michigan vs. Arizona

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INDIANAPOLIS — On the weekend the Fab Five is reunited and Michigan celebrates the anniversary of its only men’s basketball national title in 1989, Dusty May can’t help but feel momentum moving the Wolverines closer to tipoff in the Final Four.

The former Indiana University manager for Bob Knight has Michigan (35-3) hitting a peak at the right time with only Arizona (36-2) between the Wolverines and their eighth national championship game appearance.

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“It’s really cool just to be back here in a full-circle moment,” May said Friday, roughly 36 hours before Michigan takes the court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Wolverines waltzed through the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region in Chicago, taking the regional final from Tennessee in a landslide, 95-62. Michigan’s trail of victims all allowed 90-plus points, 25-plus field goals, 19-plus assists and 10-plus 3-pointers with Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg (21.0 points per game) leading six Wolverines averaging double figures during the NCAA Tournament.

“He’s obviously an elite talent,” Lloyd said of Lendeborg. “You put the skill with those physical tools, and looks like to me he’s got that alpha dog in him. Dusty has done an incredible job just putting him in positions to utilize all his skills. There’s probably not one way to guard him. … I’m sure that guy, that’s going to be a household name in basketball for a long time.”

Lloyd said Friday he plans to be a household name in Tucson for a long time. He signed a contract extension through 2031 in the wake of interest from another college basketball powerhouse — this time North Carolina, last year Villanova — with a coaching vacancy.

Arizona set a single-season program record with 36 wins. The Wildcats won the Big 12 and, like Big Ten regular-season champ Michigan, haven’t had to sweat much in the NCAA Tournament with an average margin of victory of 20.5. This is the first matchup since the NCAA Tournament became a 64-team field in 1985 in which Final Four opponents won four prior games by at least 10 points.

“I feel like we’ve been tested,” Arizona senior point guard Jaden Bradley said. “Big 12 play, Big 12 tournament. I think it’s going to go down to the wire. It’s definitely going to be a full 40 (minutes).”

Illinois, Arizona and Michigan have been in the top six in offensive efficiency rating all season.

The Wildcats are making their fifth Final Four appearance — their first since 2001 — and are back near the site of their 1997 national title celebration at the RCA Dome.

Freshman forward Koa Peat was named West Region Most Outstanding Player, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds 2.5 assists in wins over Arkansas and Purdue last week. In a Final Four dominated by transfers and international talent searches, Peat is an anomaly Lloyd applauds.

“Koa is special,” Lloyd said. “And I know you guys hear it, but you got to hear it again. Four state championships at the same high school. Didn’t go to a prep school. Four gold medals with USA Basketball. No one in FIBA history has ever done that. And helped lead Arizona to a Final Four.”

Classmate Brayden Burries scored 23 points against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, the second-most points scored by an Arizona freshman in an NCAA Tournament game. The pair combined for 1,105 points this season.

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The player most responsible for carrying the Arizona flag on the roster is Bradley, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year. He was a third-team All-American and a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Bradley’s matchup with Michigan’s backcourt brings intrigue in a game where most of the Xs and Os are fixed on big men. He’ll likely get plenty of time against Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau, who has three consecutive games with seven-plus assists and overcame an allergic reaction and late departure from Ann Arbor to practice Friday.

But Arizona takes pride in its team defense.

“I think their physicality stands out and the way that they play and they sustain physicality for 40 minutes,” Michigan freshman guard Trey McKenney said of Arizona.

The Wildcats are not the typical college offense, a point made by Michigan’s 7-foot-4 center Aday Mara this week.

They typically are aiming to shoot a higher volume of free throws, not 3-pointers. The Wildcats have attempted only 53 total 3-pointers in four NCAA Tournament games and shot 43.4%; Arizona made an average of 19.7 free throws per game this season. Michigan made 27 free throws in the Midwest Region final win.

Arizona’s defense gave Big 12 foes fits all season with 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas roaming between the blocks. But Lloyd views Lendeborg as a unicorn. Not because of just his scoring, but because of his unselfish play.

“It took him a while,” May said of Lendeborg reaching his current comfort zone. “And I think our guys have constantly reminded him. He’s so unselfish. He’s so — I don’t know how to say it. He wants to be one of the guys. They’ve encouraged him to be more aggressive, to shoot more, to hunt some more individual accolades all year, and he simply refused because he didn’t care about any of those things.

“It’s allowed us to have a real selfless group, and it’s improved our environment because he’s been so unselfish but he still has no idea how good he is.”

A grad student who had 150 career games under his belt before joining the Wolverines, Lendeborg spent two seasons at Arizona Western College and two at UAB. He’s also a unique talent because of range — 10 3-pointers in the past three games — and length (7-foot-4 wingspan).

If the Wildcats control the lane and force Michigan to launch from deep, they expect positive results. Opponents are shooting 27.9% from 3-point range against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

-Field Level Media

NCAA Tournament to Go to 76

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Wire Service Report) – NCAA’s leadership and basketball committees are expected to finalize expansion of the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments to 76 teams shortly after the conclusion of this year’s tournament, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.

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Per the report, the new format would see 52 teams earn berths directly into what is currently the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the remaining 24 — 12 lower-seeded automatic qualifiers and the final 12 at-large teams — would play 12 opening-round games Tuesday and Wednesday. They would be held in the longtime First Four home of Dayton, Ohio, and at an additional site to determine which teams would advance to Thursday and Friday’s first round.

However, these details could also reportedly change as the NCAA continues to talk with its men’s tournament TV partners in Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, which have broadcasting rights through the 2031 tournament.

The report didn’t indicate how quickly expansion could be added, but it could theoretically come as soon as the 2027 NCAA Tournaments. But expansion “will happen” barring something unforeseen in the next few days.

It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.

The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, according to reports. However, it’s also something that NCAA president Charlie Baker has said he’s in favor of doing.

–Field Level Media

FINAL FLAW: DUKE IMPLODES

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Miracle UConn Comeback Sends Huskies to Final Four

WASHINGTON DC  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – UConn’s Braylon Mullins missed his first four 3-point attempts on Sunday. On his fifth, the freshman sank one of the all-time great shots in NCAA Tournament history.

Mullins nailed a 35-footer with 0.4 seconds remaining, and No. 2 seed UConn completed a miraculous 19-point comeback to defeat No. 1 Duke 73-72 and reach its third Final Four in four years.

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“Yeah, still a loss of words. Still processing all of what just happened,” Mullins said. “Man, I’m just happy that was the one that went down tonight.”

Mullins’ heave marked the only time UConn (33-5) led in the East Region final since 2-0. It came after opting not to foul on a Duke inbound play with 10 seconds remaining.

The Blue Devils (35-3) neared halfcourt before Silas Demary Jr. deflected Cayden Boozer’s pass and Alex Karaban fed Mullins, who squared his feet and let fly.

Now Mullins is returning to Indiana for a Final Four, a year after he earned McDonald’s All-America honors there with Greenfield-Central High School.

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“When I saw him release it, I was like, ‘That really might go in’,” Karaban said. “It went in, and the Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis.”

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 26 points and finished a rebound shy of his third tournament double-double to keep the Huskies in it while they struggled from beyond the arc.

UConn finished 5 of 23 there (21.7%) after hitting just 1 of their first 18, yet still snapped the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games.

“What the hell did you just say, 1 for 18?” UConn coach Dan Hurley responded in the postgame press conference, covering his face in disbelief. “I knew it was bad. I kept asking the assistant coaches, and no one would tell me what it was.”

Demary finished with 11 points, and Solo Ball and Mullins each had 10 as UConn remained alive for a third national title under Hurley and seventh overall.

“It’s been a season where we’ve been dealt with injuries to key players at critical points of the year that we’ve had to overcome, and we’ve had to show a lot of fortitude and resilience and just kind of claw our way through the season,” Hurley said. “Thought just the game was a microcosm of that. We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made.

“And one of the most brilliant shooters you’ll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot.”

The Huskies will face No. 3 seed Illinois, which eliminated No. 9 Iowa 71-59 on Saturday in the South Region final, in Saturday’s early game.

Cameron Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in what is likely his final collegiate game, with the Naismith Award favorite likely to be an NBA draft lottery selection in June.

“I’m just super thankful for it all,” Boozer said. “I’m hurting right now. We’re all hurting. I wish I could have gave more for those guys.”

His freshman twin Cayden finished with 15 points and six assists before committing the fatal turnover — one of eight after halftime — and Dame Sarr had 10 points.

Coach Jon Scheyer finished a game shy of back-to-back Final Four appearances in his fourth season as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor.

“We just gave them easy baskets,” Scheyer said. “We just had to secure the ball better, and that’s a recipe to put yourself in that position.”

Karaban keyed a game-winning 8-2 stretch by sinking his only 3 of the contest — after averaging 22 points in his first three tournament games – with 50 seconds left for a 70-69 deficit.

Cameron Boozer pushed Duke up 72-69 on a basket, then Demary sank one of two free throws when Duke fouled intentionally with 10 seconds remaining.

Sarr inbounded from the baseline to Cameron Boozer, who returned the pass, then found Cayden Boozer on the left, who dribbled forward and then tried to pass over a trap.

Demary deflected it, Mullins reached it and fed Karaban on the wing. Cameron Boozer closed on Karaban, who returned the ball to Mullins.

“I think we were all just trying to get the ball out of whoever had the ball in their hands and trying to make a play on the ball,” Mullins said. “Silas made an incredible, incredible play, and everything else just happened as it is.”

The Huskies tackled their deficit in pieces, first cutting an early 19-point deficit to 15 by halftime, then using an 8-1 run to get within seven.

After Duke restored its lead to double figures, another 10-2 UConn run closed it to within 67-65 when Solo Ball took advantage of Isaiah Evans’ turnover, raced up the court and completed a three-point play with 3:42 left.

–Ian Quillen, Field Level Media

March Madness: Elite Frontcourt Clash

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Preview) – Top-seeded Michigan and sixth-seeded Tennessee both feature playmaking guards who have shined along the path to Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Region final.

Chicago remains the “City of the Big Shoulders,” though, and the Elite Eight matchup between the Wolverines (34-3) and Volunteers (25-11) ought to oblige as two physical front lines prepare to tussle.

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“I think our frontcourt is the best frontcourt in the country,” Tennessee sophomore forward J.P. Estrella said, “and we’ve got another frontcourt coming on Sunday that we’re super excited about (facing).”

The 6-foot-11 Estrella was seated when he delivered an accurate tale of the tape on himself and teammates Nate Ament and Felix Okpara.

“We’re some big dudes,” Estrella said. “I mean, we’ve got three dudes in the starting lineup that are 6-10 and above.”

Michigan boasts similar bulk behind 6-9 forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. alongside 7-3 center Aday Mara.

True to the setting, the Wolverines know they’ll have to elevate their effort to earn the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2018 while denying the Volunteers the first berth in school history.

Collecting 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, the versatile Lendeborg sparked a 90-77 victory against fourth-seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Johnson Jr. and Mara combined for 15 points and 12 boards, a so-so contribution by their standards.

Wolverines coach Dusty May lauded the play of reserve guards Trey McKenney (17 points) and Roddy Gayle Jr. (16 points) as “incredible” before showing confidence that the Michigan frontcourt would earn more praise soon enough.

“It was a game where our front line didn’t have their best stuff, for whatever reason,” May said. “And those guys will play much better on Sunday, because they don’t ever have two bad  games.”

Tennessee handled second-seeded Iowa State in the other Midwest Region semifinal, winning 76-62 while roaring to a 43-22 advantage on the glass.

With the Cyclones missing top rebounder and second-leading scorer Joshua Jefferson (ankle), the Volunteers outmuscled them throughout the night.

Ament led the way with 18 points and guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16, while Okpara (12 points, 10 rebounds) and fellow big man Jaylen Carey (11 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles.

Wolverines point guard Elliot Cadeau stressed that the team can’t stray from defensive basics against Tennessee.

“Effort. Communication. Talking a lot,” Cadeau said.

Sunday marks Tennessee’s third straight Elite Eight appearance under coach Rick Barnes, who is aiming to lead a program to the Final Four for the first time since he took Texas there in 2003.

The Volunteers underwent significant roster turnover from the second-seeded team that lost to top seed 69-50 Houston in the Midwest Region final a season ago.

“This year, we’re going to come out with fire,” said Okpara, who had four points and nine rebounds in that game. “We’re going to get the job done.”

Michigan defeated Tennessee 76-68 in a South Region second-round game in 2022.

– Field Level Media

Foster Returned to Tough Duke Team

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WASHINGTON DC – (Wire Service Preview) – After proving their mental fortitude in the Sweet 16, Cameron Boozer’s No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils will try to defeat this decade’s most successful program when they meet the No. 2 UConn Huskies in Sunday’s NCAA East Regional final.

Boozer has posted double-doubles in all three tournament games for Duke (35-2) to continue a season that has made the freshman forward the Naismith Award favorite.

Meanwhile, his Blue Devils teammates have gotten healthier.

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In Friday’s 80-75 victory over St. John’s, junior guard Caleb Foster willed himself back to action 20 days after sustaining a right foot fracture and scored all 11 of his points after halftime to help his team overcome a 10-point deficit.

“First time playing in a few weeks, he’s sore and recovering like you would expect, but nothing concerning,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “We want him to just continue to be himself, his leadership, his ability to get downhill, just making plays himself and really more of what he did yesterday.”

Center Patrick Ngonba II has also been able to provide minutes off the bench in the last two games after he missed about three weeks with right foot soreness.

At a program that frequently re-loads with NBA Draft Lottery-bound talent like Boozer, that duo provides precious experience from last year’s Final Four squad. So does sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who had his best game of the tournament with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead Duke’s rally against the Red Storm.

“Just being able to insert our names in history definitely means a lot,” said Evans of possibly reaching consecutive Final Fours. “Like you said, a lot of people haven’t done that. With Duke having the history it has, to be one of the people that did something different, it means a lot to me.”

As impressive as Scheyer’s three consecutive Elite Eight appearances are in four seasons as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor, it’s Dan Hurley’s Huskies (32-5) who are seeking a third national title in four years.

And to limit Boozer, Hurley will lean on senior center Tarris Reed Jr., who has stepped up a level this tournament.

“I think with Tarris or any player, I think just at some point you hope that the light switch comes on in time,” Hurley said. “Maybe it’s the life or death urgency to this time of year. … When he plays at the level that he’s capable of playing at, we can beat any team in the country, and he’s as good as any center in the country.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Mar 29

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It’s 39-degrees and we’re expecting snowflakes this Friday for Sox opener at Fenway

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For those of us who live and breath sports, those who have made a living in the high pressure world of risk and reward, and sometimes award, there is one rule to use as your North Star. That rule is the NEXT game is the big game.

We anticipate that next game as if our lives depended on it. We watch the sports pundits opine. We have our own thoughts and opinions and prognostications. It’s all about the next game.

The great coaches concentrate – not on the next game – but the next possession, the next at bat or pitch, the next defensive stop, the next set of downs, and then, the next game – the very second they’re done doing media interviews about tonight’s game.

I noticed Coach Mike Krzyzewski do that when he was the head coach of USA Basketball’s senior team. At the World Cup (formerly Championship of Basketball) in Japan, he’d have tonight’s boxscore in his hands as he did his media interviews, but the second he stepped down from the podium, he’d want the next opponent’s boxscore from their most recent game. Media interviews ended the game at hand, and he was on to the next game right away.

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I watched Friday night’s Duke vs. St. John’s game, but on Saturday, still clung to the mountain of “what ifs,” all created as the game played out – all fair and square.

As in, “what if” Duke coach Jon Scheyer didn’t have the game plan to switch to zone at crucial time in the second half of the NCAA regional semifinal game to stop the Johnnies’ momentum after a nice run that gave SJU a 10 point lead, 55-45, with 15:01 left in the game. By the 8:11 mark, after an Isaiah Evans three-pointer, Duke led, 63-62.

“What if” the Boozer twins picked another school instead of their father’s alma mater, Duke. Cameron (6-9, 250) and Cayden (6-4, 205) led the Blue Devils all year long, but “what if” they decided to criss-cross/double-cross their Dad and attend North Carolina?

The “what ifs” continue with the question, “What if, Evans had a bad night shooting?”

“What if” St. John’s guard and North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson had Evans’ shooting touch instead of going 1-for-7 from 3-point range? St. John’s guards Jackson, Oziyah Sellers and Dylan Darling (the darling of St. John’s game against Kansas) shot a combined 2-for-16 from downtown. Reserve center Ruben Prey was 4-for-4 and star forward Bryce Hopkins was 2-for-2 from 3-point land.

Evans shot 10-for-15 FG and 4-for-8 from three-point FG.

Duke shot a dismal 15-of-24 from the free throw line (63%) while St. John’s shot a horrible 4-for-8 from the line (50%). There was no beef with the discrepancy as the Johnnies were shooting jumpers while Duke took it to the rim all night long.

That was the difference between more Madness in March (and maybe even April) and, instead, March Sadness. The basketball gods spoke to the school of the Vincentians and sent St. John’s packing. The same gods who allowed the Johnnies to take that 10-point lead, pulled the rug out from underneath their Nike Air Jordans.

The basketball gods tossed this one out with a graphic embedded into the CBS Sports broadcast: For every Duke national title, the Blue Devils beat St. John’s along the way:

🔹1991: Beat St. John’s in the Regional Final (78–61)

🔹1992: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–81)

🔹2001: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–59)

🔹2010: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (80–71)

🔹2015: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (77–68)

Somehow, the Blue Devils are connected to the basketball gods.

Seems like N.I.L. now stands for Not In (my) Lifetime for St. John’s.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Continuing the March “Sadness” theme, your columnist and editor-in-chief of PGATourBrunch must opine on the “Continuing Saga of Tiger Woods.”

While news media, sports writers (and columnists), sports fans, golf fans, and everyone in between criticize Woods for his behavior, your guy, right here, must show true vibes of empathy for the golf star turned retiree.

In case you didn’t see the story – which has been pretty much impossible to overlook since Friday afternoon – here’s a quick round-up:

Tiger Woods was arrested on DUI charges Friday afternoon after being involved in a two-vehicle car crash about four miles from his home in Jupiter Island, Florida. Woods was booked in jail on three charges. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced Woods’ arrest at a 5 p.m. ET press conference. Woods was released around 11 p.m. ET on Friday night.

What can be said?

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First, it’s important not to speculate excessively as the police are undertaking an investigation and all the facts have not been made public. That said, the Martin County Sheriff’s department made lengthy statements in a press conference called Friday afternoon. They said a lot, especially on the description of the accident. They also released some photos, showing the Land Rover on its side.

Initial thoughts?

You have to try to flip a Land Rover, or you must’ve been driving at an incredibly high rate of speed. A Land Rover is no JEEP. It’s large, wide and grounded.

Secondly, the authorities made it clear that Woods was not arrested for drunk diving (alcohol) and they released the fact he was tested and blew a .000 on his breathalizerr tests. That led to the immediate assumption that Woods was abusing and impaired by pain killer drugs. (That is not known, at this time).

Continuing, this is not Tiger Woods’ first incident with an automobile. His past history includes:

  • November, 2009: Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home in Florida. He was found semi-conscious and his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, reportedly used a golf club to smash the back window to help Woods out of the vehicle. Subsequently, after the public airing of multiple trysts with several women, Woods and his wife separated and divorced. The accident resulted in a summons for careless driving and Woods was fined $164.
  • May, 2017: Woods was found asleep at the wheel in his Mercedes, stopped at a traffic light with his directional signal on. A toxicology report noted there was Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC in his system at the time. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was placed on a one year probation period.
  • February, 2021: Woods was involved in a severe single-car rollover crash while driving a Genesis SUV. Investigators determined he was traveling between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. Woods suffered significant injuries to his right leg and ankle, requiring multiple emergency surgeries. No criminal charges were filed as there was no evidence of impairment.

Now, Woods faces three serious charges in Martin County, all misdemeanors. The police announced charges of – DUI, Property Damage, and Refusal to Submit to a Lawful Test. While he was released on bail after the mandatory eight-hour hold, he faces significant legal consequences if convicted of the charges. Comparing the current incident to Woods’ 2017 case, there’s a more severe legal landscape due to recent changes in Florida law and the nature of his current charges.

Just last week, Woods competed with his Jupiter Links GC team against Los Angeles in the finals of the indoor TGL. He claimed to feel fine, physically, but admitted to “rust” on his overall game. There’s been speculation as to whether Woods would play at The Masters.

The main take-away from this incident is the very important need for Woods to seek help/counseling and potential rehabilitation for dependency on the v ery pain-killer drugs he tested positive for back in 2017. Multiple celebrity deaths have been reported for overdoses on combinations of prescription pain killers/opiods. Guitarist and songwriter Tom Petty, actors Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith and the death of the artist known as Prince, due to fentanyl overdoses have filled the newspapers over many years.

Woods needs to take care of himself while dealing with the consequences that will come with serious charges. One thing is clear, he will not be treated better than the average guy and he’ll face the full application of the laws.

TIGER: While being realistic and sympathetic to Woods’ situation, I cannot help but think of the amount of joy he’s brought to a generation of sports fans – all drawn to golf because of his ability and charisma. Only Jack Nicklaus can be considered as a better golfer and, maybe only Ali and Michael Jordan would be more world famous.

An anonymous NBA fan suggested a bronze depiction of Luka Doncic’s game

LUKA OR LOSA? The constant complaining done by Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has become unbearable. This weekend, Doncic was issued his 16th technical foul and it resulted in an automatic 1-game suspension. Doncic will serve the suspension during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Doncic previously picked up his 16th tech last weekend for verbally sparring with Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, but the NBA rescinded the techs after the Lakers appealed to the league.

The suspension will cost Doncic 1/174 of his annual salary, or approximately $264,000. Subsequent technical fouls during the current regular season will be cause for automatic uspension for an additional game and the financial penalty will increase to 1/145 of his salary, or approximately $317,000.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: While March Madness marched on, the NBA had a busy week behind the scenes and off the court. Commissioner Adam Silver held a briefing after the Board of Governors meeting to discuss expansion. He was quite specific in his choice of words Wednesday afternoon when he said, that the league is “exploring expansion,” not committing to expanding. There remain many variables in play, such as who the chosen ownership groups might be, the costs and benefits of a move that could bump league membership to 32 franchises, but the thing that became clear is the fact the NBA will look at Seattle and Las Vegas as the two markets to expand.

In other business, called the Anti-Tanking dilemma, the league offered three possible solutions to the two-part issue of keeping the current Lottery system or changing it.

These are the Three Primary Anti-Tanking Solutions put forth to the NBA board for consideration and an eventual vote this spring (for implementation next season).

  • 18-Team Lottery & Flattened Odds: Expanding the lottery to 18 teams—the 10 teams missing the play-in plus the eight that qualify for it. Under one proposal, the bottom 10 teams would receive equal odds for the top pick, significantly reducing the incentive to be the absolute worst team.
  • Two-Year Lottery Records (WNBA Model): Rather than just the current season’s record, NBA Lottery odds would be calculated based on a team’s winning percentage over two seasons. This prevents teams from benefiting instantly from a single season of extreme losing and encourages sustained competence.
  • “Win-Based” Lottery Seeding: Instead of awarding the best odds to the teams with the most losses, lottery positions would be determined by the number of wins a team accumulates during the final stretch of the season. This ensures that teams continue to try winning games, even if they are far out of playoff contention.

At this point in time, I am not sure which of the three I would vote for, but looking at the two-year (WNBA model) proposal, I might wiggle it to be a three-year rule. If pushed to decide right now, I’d go with the last of the three but would need exact details as to the timing for the “final stretch.” Might they use the final 10 games? 15 games?

BC HIRED MURRAY – and – THAT”S the FACT JACK: Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James announced the hiring of Luke Murray, assistant coach of the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program, as the new Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family head men’s basketball coach at BC. Murray, the son of comedian and motion picture star Bill Murray of Saturday Night Live fame, will head up I84 to a BC team with his decade-plus of coaching experience at the highest levels of collegiate basketball, including playing a key staff role in two national championships. Known for his offensive acumen, player development, and recruiting success, Murray became the 14th head coach in program history.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP (AGAIN): The horn struck again on Saturday during the Elite Eight of the men’s NCAA tournament. Just over a month after a stuck buzzer stopped an NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, the same thing happened during No. 3 seed Illinois’ game vs. No. 9 seed Iowa at the Toyota Center in Houston. The game was stopped for over 11 minutes with 7:43 to go in the first half as the shot clock horn kept sounding. Given the importance of a working buzzer in a basketball game, the game didn’t continue after the under-eight media timeout because the horn was still going off. When the horn finally shut off, it was greeted with cheers all across the arena. At one point, CBS announcer Kevin Harlan joked that the seven-minute delay felt like 70 minutes. The NCAA said during the second half that the issue stemmed from a malfunction in the scoreboard hanging over the court and that arena staff had attempted to reset the scoreboard at halftime to no avail. Illinois won the game, 71-59, and became the first team to earn a berth in this year’s Final Four.

CRICKET ANYONE? The Royal Challengers Bengaluru sold for ~$1.78B to a consortium led by Blackstone Investment in a landmark IPL deal. The buyers include: Blackstone (first direct sports team investment); David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group, and Times of India Group. The deal covers both IPL and Women’s Premier League teams.

NCAA Basketball: Izzo in March

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Repeat after me … “January (January), February (February), Izzo, April (April).

Coach Tom Izzo will attempt to coach Michigan State one step closer to his ninth Final Four when they meet a familiar UConn squad in Friday night’s NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal.

Izzo’s third-seeded Spartans (27-7) have had a relatively comfortable trip through the tournament, easing past No. 14 North Dakota State 92-67 and outlasting No. 6 Louisville 77-69.

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And they’ve done it in an increasingly uncommon manner, relying on a core group of upperclassmen that have spent their entire collegiate career with the same program.

The starting quartet of senior forward Jaxon Kohler, senior center Carson Cooper, junior guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and junior forward Coen Carr have played 14 combined seasons under Izzo.

The 71-year-old Izzo says that adds a level of satisfaction to the journey, both for himself and his players, during an era of near-constant mobility.

“Hell yeah, it makes it exciting,” Izzo said. “I still think all these kids moving around, someday they’re going to have to come back to someplace, and they ain’t going to come back to it.

“Everybody talks about how good (the ability to switch schools easily) is for the kids. I think in the end the kids are the ones that lose. I’m not going to lose. Big deal. Have a good year, bad year, I can leave tomorrow. It’s the kids that are going to lose.”

Each member of that quartet has scored in double figures this season. Against North Dakota State, Cooper had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Against Louisville, it was Carr with 21 points and 10 boards.

In No. 2 seed UConn (31-5), the Spartans will face a similarly experienced group that starts four upperclassmen, and arguably a similarly minded coach in Dan Hurley.

It’s also a team they met back in an October preseason exhibition, although Huskies leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr. was absent with a hamstring injury.

For Hurley’s team, the lesson was the kind of physicality it would take to be competitive against elite opposition.

“Yeah, we were very intentional about trying to schedule them for that game right before the opener so we could really identify our vulnerabilities in that game,” Hurley recalled. “I think we gave up six or seven free-throw rebounds in that game, our transition defense was a joke, we got assaulted on the glass. There was a lot there in that game that we were able to show the guys this week when we got manhandled.”

Silas Demary Jr. (ankle) should be available Friday. The point guard missed UConn’s 82-71 win against Furman to open the tournament, but played 22 minutes off the bench in a 73-57 win over No. 7 UCLA in the second round.

Reed posted career bests with 31 points and 27 rebounds in the first-round win, exceeding the senior’s previous rebounding high by nine. Alex Karaban had 27 points against UCLA while Reed had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media

March Madness Round-Up

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SAN JOSE – (Staff and Wire Service Recap) – Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a shot with 0.7 seconds left to give the second-seeded Boilermakers a 79-77 win over 11th-seeded Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region semifinals on Thursday night.

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Purdue’s Braden Smith drove to the lane on the final possession, and his jumper bounced off, right to the hands of Kaufman-Renn, one of three starters for the Boilermakers (30-8) who were part of the team that played in the 2024 NCAA final.

Kaufman-Renn finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, making 8 of 10 shots from the floor. Fletcher Loyer scored 18 points and Smith added 16 for Purdue, which will face No. 1 Arizona in the regional final on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four.

Texas (21-15) got 29 points from Tramon Mark, the most by a Longhorn in the NCAA tourney since Kevin Durant had 30 in 2007. He hit 11 of 15 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. The Longhorns shot 51.8% overall, 55.6% in the second half.

No. 1 Arizona 109, Arkansas 88

Brayden Burries scored 23 points and fellow freshman Koa Peat added 21 as the Wildcats rolled past the Razorbacks in the West Region semifinals at San Jose.

Arizona (35-2) matched its school record for wins by shooting 63.8% from the field, advancing to its first Elite Eight since 2015.

Burries finished 7 of 11 from the field, while Peat made 8 of 11 shots.

Arkansas (28-9) got 28 points from freshman Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 88 in three tourney games. The Razorbacks were called for two flagrant fouls and two technicals, one on coach John Calipari. Billy Richmond III was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul with 7:14 left.

SOUTH

No. 3 Illinois 65, No. 2 Houston 55

David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler produced double-doubles as the Fighting Illini parlayed a 17-0 second-half run into a victory over the Cougars in the South Regional semifinals at Houston.

Illinois (27-8) advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. The Fighting Illini will face a Big Ten rival, ninth-seeded Iowa, on Saturday with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Mirkovic paired 14 points with 10 rebounds. Wagler posted 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Emanuel Sharp led Houston (30-7) with 17 points. Kingston Flemings added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Cougars, who shot just 34.4%.

No. 9 Iowa 77, No. 4 Nebraska 71

Bennett Stirtz scored a team-high 20 points, Tate Sage added 19 and the Hawkeyes rallied from a first-half, double-digit deficit to defeat the Cornhuskers in the South Regional semifinals at Houston.

Stirtz provided Iowa (24-12) with its first lead at 68-65 via a 3-pointer with 2:10 left. That ignited a decisive closing stretch from Iowa, which advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 while dashing Nebraska’s bid for its first Elite Eight appearance.

Pryce Sandfort paced the Cornhuskers (28-7) with 25 points, while Braden Frager added 16. That duo combined to shoot 11 of 18 from behind the arc for the Cornhuskers, who missed 18 of 24 3-point shots in the second half after going 7 of 14 from deep before intermission.

–Field Level Media

BC Eagles Hire Murray

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College hired Luke Murray, son of comedian and motion picture star Bill Murray.

“That’s the fact, jack,” they said.

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BC turned to a proven title-winning assistant coach with the hiring of UConn’s Murray, placing a key member of Dan Hurley’s staff in charge of a rebuild in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Murray, 40, has been with the Huskies since 2021 and is widely credited inside the program as one of the architects of an offense that powered back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024.

Boston College athletic director Blake James framed the hire as a modern reset for the program.

“Today marks a turning point in Boston College Men’s Basketball,” James said. “In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball – he has helped define it. His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes.”

Murray is also the son of legendary comedic actor Bill Murray, who has been a regular presence around UConn basketball games in recent seasons.

“I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to lead the Boston College men’s basketball program,” Murray said. “Boston College alumni and fans will find our program defined by a standard of excellence, and our team will play an unselfish, tough and highly competitive brand of basketball.”

Before arriving in Storrs, Murray built a long assistant-coaching resume with stops that included Louisville (2018-21) and Xavier (2015-18), along with stints under Hurley at Rhode Island (2013-15) and Wagner (2010-11). He will remain with UConn through the NCAA Tournament with the second-seeded Huskies set to face third-seeded Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Washington, D.C.

–Field Level Media